Wall clad in Motivo by Mutina with vertical relief battens

Motivo by Mutina — the memory of Scottish castles, fired in ceramic

Mutina

Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec

Arctic
Arctic Available now
£ 4,680

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Trade terms for professionals and design studios

Every panelled room in an old Scottish castle solved two problems at once: it protected the wall and gave the room its character. Mutina says Motivo (2025) was born exactly there — Ronan Bouroullec drew on the interiors of old castles and on the memory of his grandparents' homes, translating the boiserie tradition into ceramic. His own summary is quieter: «a way to integrate ceramics into a room with delicacy, in perfect balance between function and beauty».

The system pairs 14×28 matt double-fired tiles with vertical battens in unglazed full-body porcelain: the T profile runs between tiles and sets the rhythm, while L and Terminale close corners and top edges. Six matt colours — White, Chalk, Limestone, Earth, Arctic, Graphite — plus Silver, a lustre finish. Mutina sells the tile exclusively paired with the T batten, with a tone-on-tone grout, so the composition reaches site as designed. An indoor wall covering for bathrooms, studies and meeting rooms alike; the design was registered in December 2025.

Technical information based on data declared by the manufacturer.

Collection: Motivo
Manufacturer: Mutina
Design: Ronan Bouroullec, 2025
Material: 14×28 tile in matt glazed double-firing (UNI EN 14411 App. L, BIIa GL); L, T and Terminale battens in unglazed full-body porcelain stoneware (BIa UGL)
Elements: tile 14×28 cm (5.5×11 in), 8 mm (0.31 in) thick — T batten 2.8×1.35×28 cm (1.1×0.53×11 in), 13.5 mm (0.53 in) — L batten 2.8×1.9×28 cm (1.1×0.75×11 in), 19 mm (0.75 in) — Terminale 2.8×1.9×28 cm (1.1×0.75×11 in), 19 mm (0.75 in)
Colours: White, Chalk, Limestone, Earth, Arctic, Graphite (matt) + Silver (lustre)
Performance (ISO 10545): stain resistance 5 (tile) and 3 (battens); chemical resistance class A; resistant to thermal shock and crazing
Use: interior wall covering
Sales format: the 14×28 tile is sold exclusively paired with the Motivo T batten; tone-on-tone epoxy grout recommended
Design protection: registered model no. 015127172, filed 12/12/2025
Documents: VOC, SVHC, HPD and Declaration of Contents on request — certificates can be downloaded directly from the product page

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Documents and Catalogues

Mutina Catalogue Motivo Catalogue Motivo Technical Guide, Laying & Maintenance

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FAQ

What do Scottish castles have to do with Motivo by Mutina?
They are its declared starting point. Mutina's catalogue says the collection was born from Bouroullec's childhood memory of his grandparents' homes and inspired by the interiors of old Scottish castles, where panelled walls protected the room and gave it character. Motivo translates that wood tradition into ceramic: a modular system that, in Mutina's words, protects and characterises the walls.
Why is the Motivo tile only sold together with the T batten?
Because the design is the pair, not the tile alone. Mutina does not sell the two elements separately: the 14×28 field tile and the T batten arrive together, and a tone-on-tone grout matched to the batten colour is recommended. The vertical rhythm you see in the catalogue is therefore guaranteed on site, whoever does the ordering.
How do I compose a half-height Motivo wall, wainscot style?
Work in multiples of 28 cm, the height of one tile course, and close the top edge with the Terminale profile, a 2.8×1.9×28 cm full-body porcelain piece made for exactly that job. The L batten resolves outer corners and vertical ends. A composition stopped without its Terminale is the one mistake the system never forgives visually.
Which colours does Motivo come in, and how do they pair with paint?
Six matt colours: White, Chalk, Limestone, Earth, Arctic and Graphite, plus Silver, a lustre finish. The collection was designed to complement the Mutina Paints palette; the catalogue itself pairs Chalk with Moss green, White with Olive and Graphite with an Earth-toned paint, so a half-tiled, half-painted wall stays on one colour card.
How should a Motivo wall be cleaned and maintained?
With ordinary non-abrasive cleaning: steel wool and metal sponges are to be avoided, above all on the Silver lustre, which is more sensitive to scratching. After installation, epoxy grout residues come off with an alkaline cleaner left to work for about half an hour, and stains such as rust or paint each have a declared remover in Mutina's care sheet.

Bringing castle panelling into a modern room, in five steps

How to plan a Motivo wall — heights, corners, grout and care — so the ceramic boiserie reads as architecture, not decoration.

Choose what the wall protects
Decide where the panelling logic earns its keep: a corridor that takes chairs and trolleys, a study, a meeting room, a bathroom. Motivo is an interior wall covering, so plan it on walls, not floors — its job is vertical.
Set the datum line
Fix the height of the composition in multiples of 28 cm and mark it around the room. Half-height compositions end with the Terminale; full-height ones run to the ceiling. A wandering datum line is the most expensive mistake to correct later.
Order the pair, not the parts
The 14×28 tile ships only together with the T batten, at 22.32 tile pieces per square metre in boxes of 36. Count L battens for outer corners and Terminale pieces for every horizontal closing edge before the order leaves.
Lay on a flat, dry wall
Mutina asks for perfectly flat and dry walls and a non-rapid adhesive for porcelain and double-fired tiles, which leaves time to true up each batten. Check flatness with a straightedge first; the vertical rhythm amplifies any bump.
Grout in the batten's tone
Use the recommended epoxy grout matched tone-on-tone to the batten colour, working half a square metre at a time and washing with clean water before it sets. Then maintain with non-abrasive cleaners, treating the Silver lustre with particular gentleness.

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